Old habits DRY hard! It's DRY JANUARY thread #2... newcomers always welcome!

[HPLikecraft]

Here we are, a shiny new thread to help us stay dry.

Thread one has been great and supportive; and thread two will take us through further challenges and milestones. Hop aboard; you're all doing brilliantly!

@Cherrymix haha, yes, we did well that year! No idea how I managed it 🤣

I really want to do the year, but if I hit 6 months I’ll be happy.

im thoroughly miserable at work too...

Struggling massively today and was very close earlier to throwing in the towel. Accidental nap when putting the baby to bed helped! DJ weekends are definitely a mental struggle for me.

@Stickywhitelovepiss 'fraid not. Last one I recall was about 6 years ago. Certainly wasn't on any of the DJ threads I've OP'ed, which are the last 4 consecutive ones on "Chat".
I've had a look but can't find it.

Never mind, we can plough our own furrow here! How about we all post our "talent" here at some point tomorrow and we can then vote for a winner? I've been working on something this month, so I'll take a piccy tomorrow and show it off!

Oh, and @Stickywhitelovepiss I wouldn't take this approach

i'm back to only a third through as am doing dry feb as well.

I'd treat Dry January and Dry February as two different challenges. You can complete one challenge and have a big success to be pleased and proud about before moving onto the next... it'll give more of a mental boost for the February part.
If you don't mind my saying so.

@HPLikecraft I'm in!

@HPLikecraft good point!

<Cough Cough>

DJ Talent Show Tomorrow!!

Post your talent on the thread tomorrow, and we'll have a vote.

Winner announced on Sunday!

A talent show you say?
Hmm, can't sing,can't dance, can't craft...
A poem maybe?

Take a photo of your craft @Hedjwitch !

Oh I see, you meant you can't. Not 'one' can't! 🤪

😂

I had a meal out with the family earlier and felt very irritable and resentful that I couldn’t drink as DH knocked back two beers and a glass of red. I’m feeling better now but mentally it was tough. I’m doing fine at home but when I go out I really struggle.

Just caught up on the thread, am still confused about the sentia - is it some kind of legal 'drug' ?? Or am I being a bit thick in not getting it?
First night out tomorrow and I've not had a drink since new years. I'm not worried if I have a drink although I am aiming not to. I've decided this is not a punishment or a pass/fail test and I'm not going to be miserable all night for a personal challenge. I think my mindset can be quite rigid so I'm trying to be a bit more flexible in my approach to things like this.
My goal for the year is 3 dry days at least (set up in the app) and I'm really pleased with where I am now from drinking almost every night.

To me it feels like a bit of a security blanket as I like the black and whiteness off it. I feel like at the end it's making your way into the big wide world and having to make choices.

I feel similar. I’m desperately looking forward to moderating rather than abstaining completely, but I’m also slightly apprehensive about it. Perhaps it’s partly because if I can’t moderate this time and slip back into drinking 70-90 units a week, then I probably will need to go teetotal.

Despite feeling miserable earlier when out, I’m now safely tucked up in bed and feeling glad I managed to stay sober for another day. I know I will thank myself tomorrow.

I’m just aiming for Monday now - I think that’s the point where I’ll really feel I’m on the home run.

Also, I’ve now saved £320 from not drinking - that is huge.

£320?? Well jell. Unfortunately I don't budget well enough so have no idea what I've saved. January is still financially disastrous but I have to assume it's less disastrous than it would otherwise be.

I'm afraid I'll probably have a drink on 1 Feb. I'm on holiday that week and I'm planning to meet a friend. Tbh pub drinks are so expensive I won't drink much.

Hi everyone, it's lovely to catch up and read how you're all doing, blips and all.

I'm holding steady here but today was a real test of my mettle. I had an incident in work that was embarrassing/cringey/ made me feel like an idiot which would normally turn me to drink to make me forget about it. Instead I'm here, very lucidly ruminating over it. I feel I couldnt go teetotal for this very reason! I know I'll feel better in tomorrow and I'm already looking forward to my morning coffee.

I'm around tomorrow night so I'll see what talents I can muster up...I'm pretty talentless so I can't promise it will be in any way exciting!

Hello, just checking in. I didn’t start until 8 January so I am way behind you all (and will be finishing this time next week, so dry-ish January really). You are all doing so well. I’m still sleeping so badly and feel like my usual glass of wine just blunts my busy brain enough to switch off and fall asleep. My face definitely looks better though and my jeans feel looser, so I will push on. I enjoyed an AF Brewdog IPA this evening.

Day 21 folks - if we get through today we’ll have completed 3 full weeks and will be over two thirds of the way there. Just 11 days left of DJ too.

Honestly @Stickywhitelovepiss that is brilliant - you have made my day!

Brilliant @Stickywhitelovepiss love it

Oh - YES WE ARE!!

Still going strong here, DH has had 5 bottles of wine the last 3 days (he works weekends,so effectively his weekend), I have not been bothered. No cravings now, been sticking with my herbal teas.

brilliant poem @Stickywhitelovepiss

Thats great @KatieKline !
I had a friend round last night (she comes round most Fridays. It’s very relaxed - but we usually drink a lot.) There a split second when I saw her glass of wine and subconsciously thought “oh where’s mine?” But other than that I was also good with the herbal tea.

Thank you those who have been sharing articles on here. They’re so helpful. My drinking habits were INCREDIBLY unhealthy. I’d been increasing worried about what drinking was doing to my health but felt trapped by my addiction into quashing those fears. Reading the articles (and my quitlit books) sober is giving me the clarity and drive to make the right decision and go sober long term.

👏👏👏👏👏@Stickywhitelovepiss

@Stickywhitelovepiss

Absolutely brilliant. Excellent rhyming skills and all 100% true! Are you a regular poet?

I have no discernible talent that could be offered up on here but I look forward to seeing others.

@Stickywhitelovepiss love it 😂

I suffer with heavy painful periods and usually turn to booze as pain relief. I sat miserable all night on the sofa and am stuck in bed now with it. It's going to really test my resolve if I'm as bad tonight as I was yesterday.

I'm cooking with wine tonight as well, but deliberately bought miniatures so don't have more than I need and it's Chardonnay which I don't like so won't be tempted to sip 🙈 Just hope I'm feeling better later on!